Car-coupling



2 SheetsSheet 1.

- (No Model.)

P. LEAGER.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented 'Jan. 2, 1883.

(Nb Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. F. L. EAGER.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 270,032. Patented Jan. 2, 1883.

F Ah m N P 5 X Jane/2Z0)" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. EAGER,OF PALMER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATIONIfoz-niing part of Letters Patent No. 270,032, dated January 2, 1883,

- Application filed September 26, 1892. (Nomodch) I following is a specification.

said crank m This invention relates to improvements in devices for coupling cars and to improved means for adapting the ordinary draw-bar to co-operate with the coupling. devices, the object being to provide a draw-bar which is capable of being adjusted to different heights,

having pivoted thereto a self-acting link-hook,

and suitable devices for operating said drawbar and hook from either side of the car or from the top thereof, and for automatically bringing said link-hook to proper coupling position in the draw-bar head after a car has made a flying switch.

Inthe drawings forming part of this specification, Figural isa view of aportion of the under side of a railway -car having applied thereto coupling devices embodying m y in vention. Fig. II is a front elevation, and Figs. III and IV are side elevations, showing the draw-bar in two positions. Fig. V is a view of the draw-bar yoke and a portion of the devices which secure it to the car.

In the drawings, A represents a part of a railway-car. .B is the draw-bar. D is a, yoke attaching the draw-bar to the car. 6 e are coiled springs. t is a pivoted link-hook. i is alink-hook rod. cis-adraw-barcrank-shaft; c hand-lever on shaft or. a are springs connecting crank-shaft a with the car. 11 is arod connected to the crank in shaft a, and extending to the top ofthe car. d is a link-hook yoke hung to have a vibrating movement'under the car. it is a connecting-hook having a looped rear end. 0 is a spring connecting-rod t with the draw-bar. m is a shaft running across the end of the car above the draw-bar and having a short crank, m formed on it over the latter, and its ends are bent to form hand-levers f. his a latch hung in the end of the car over c are down-hanging arms on shaft m. the link-yoke d. z is arod connected to an arm, 2 on shaft m.

The draw-bar B is substantially of the form ordinarily used for a link-and-pin coupling,

,der the car, connected with it.

v are rods connecting arms c with excepting that its mouth is made somewhat larger. Said draw-bar is supported between the usual side pieces under the car, between which-it can have the common end motion;

butinstead of beingheld up between said side pieces by cross-supports thereunder, as usual, the draw-bar is secured therebetween at a single point by a yoke, D, which is firmly securedbetween said supports and provided with an opening through it to admit of passing the shank of the draw-bar through it, and a coilspring, a, is placed on said shank each side of said yoke 1), one of which serves as a drawspring and the other as a hunter-spring. The said opening through yoke D is of asomewhat oval form vertically to permit the outerend of the draw-bar to have a vibratory vertical motion. v

A link-hook, z, is pivoted in the headof said draw-bar back of its mouth, and is adapted to operate in a slot in the under side thereof, and

has a part extending downward under thelatter, and to have a rod, P, which runs back un- The point of said link-hook, which swings upinto the mouth of the draw-bar, is adaptedto operate with a common link to engage in the latter when it end of the latter. Said crank is connected to the bottom of the car by two springs, a a of sufficient force to sustain the weight of the outer end of the draw-bar and to keep it up against the bottom of the car. A vertical rod, 1), is supported on the end of the car, and its lower end is connected with said crank on shaft a. A vibratory yoke, d, is hung under the car and across the draw-bar somewhat below the latter. lower end of the link-hook 2, having means, as shown, about centrally therein for connecting a spring, 0, and a hooked rod, or, having a looped end therewith. Said rod 2' extends rearwardly through the lower part of yoke D, whereby its end is supported. Said spring 0 is connected to the under side of the draw-bar A. rod, 1", is connected to the p B, and serves to swing the link-hook t'to carry its bookend up into the draw-bar mouth. The said hook-rod it connects rod i with said vibratory yoke d, its looped end permitting the latter to swing freely forward. A shaft, m, runs across the end of the car above the drawbar B, and has ashort crank formed therein over the latter. A hand-lever,f, is formed on each end of said shaft. A latch, h, is hung on the end of the car above said short crank, and has a notch in its under edge,which is adapted to engage with said crank, so as to hold the latter over toward the top of the draw-bar. Two down-hanging arms, 7; -v, on said shaft m, are connected by rods 11 v with said vibratory yoke 0, whereby the latter and the link-hook t are operated to swing the latter to the posi' tion shown in Fig. 3. A vertical rod, z,on the end of the car (see Figs. 1 and 11) isattached to the end of an arm, 2 on shaft on. whereby the latter may be operated from the top of the car.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: lfa car carrying a link be appioaching the month of draw-bar'B, and the position of said link be too low to properly enter the mouth of said draw-bar, the latter may be swung down by seizing one of hand-levers a or by pressing down on rod 1), thus swinging thecrank on shaft (t'down. The said approaching linkwill then enter draw-bar l3, and, sliding over the point of hook i, become engaged therewith. To disconnect a link from hook t, shaft m is turned by swinging down levers j, whereby yoke 61 is swung backward, drawing the point of hook t-down through rods n and t connecting said yoke therewith. Spring 0 returns hook t to the engaging position again, and after the end of the draw-bar has been deon it lower than the pushed car, the head of the draw-bar is depressed to meet that of the coming car by turning shaft a, as above described, and at the same time shaft m is turned to swing the point of hook t downward, so that it may not engage with a link that may be in the other coupling. It is desirable that hook t be retained in said downward position until the cars part, and for this purpose the latch his thrown down and engages with the short crank on shaft m, as in Fig. III, and when the cars separate the end ot'draw-bar B is released and is thrown up by springs .a ,-knocking latch it away from crank m and letting hook 6 swing again into the draw-bar head, ready again to engage with a link.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In combination, the draw-bar B, yoke D, the crank-shaft a, and the springs a substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, the draw-bar B, the pivoted link-hook t, the rods-t and n, spring 0, yoke 01, shaft 122, and means, substantially as described, for connecting said shaft m with said yoke, all as set forth.

.3. In combination, theshaftm, provided with the crank W, the latch h, yoke 01, rods 41. and i and means, substantially as described, for connecting said shaft m with said yoke, all as set forth.

FRANK L. EAGER. Witnesses:

H. A. CHAPIN, R. F. HYDE. 

